January, 1970 / Volume 10 / Number 1
MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF THE BIOLA FELLOWSHIP
president .....................
Arroyo Grand« - San Luis Obispo KOAG
S.H. SUTHERLAND
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Bakersfield - Wasco KAFY
managing editor ..........
Sun.
BILL EHMANN
550 1050
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design .........................
Burbank KBBQ
JOHN OZMON
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p rinting .......................
Chico - Paradise KEWQ Fresno - Dinuba KRDU Lodi - Stockton KCVR Los Angeles KBBI
CHURCH PRESS
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biota hour h ost ............
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DON RANSON
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CONTENTS
107.5 (FM)
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KTYM 1460 Los Angeles - Long Beach
WHY GOD GAVE CHILDREN PARENTS ................................. 3 W. Robert Smith CAUGHT UP TOGETHER.......... 8 SAVED FROM WRATH ............ 9 Ralph L. Keiper PRINCE OF PEACE .................. 11 J. Richard Chase INCARNATION ............................13 Lloyd T. Anderson STUDENT MISSIONS INTERVIEW ............................18 Ron Hafer and Dave Beckwith PANEL DISCUSSIONS.............. 21 BIBLICAL PROPHECY.............. 25 Lloyd T. Anderson SUNDAY AFTERNOON MUSICALS SCHEDULE........31
KGER KGER
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1390
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Modesto KTRB
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Oxnard - Ventura - Santa 1Barbara KO XR 910 Redding - Red Bluff
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KQMS San Bernardino -
1400 Riverside
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KACE KFXM
1570 590
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Santa Cruz KSCO San Diego KBBW KSCO
1080
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99.1 (FM)
102.9 (FM)
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KDEO XEMO
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San Francisco KFAX Santa Maria KCOY
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1440 10:30 P.M. Sun. OREGON
Albany - Eugene KW IL Ashland - Medford KW IN Coquille - Coos Bay KW RO KW IL
790 790
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580
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Portland KPDQ
ON THIS MONTH'S COVER
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93.7 (FM)
KPDQ
Messages in this issue feature several of the speakers scheduled for January 25-30 at Biola’s 35th annual Torrey Memorial Bible Conference. See special announcement on back cover. Brochures of the conference are available from Biola.
WASHINGTON
Blain« - Vancouver, B.C. KARI Seattle 550
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102.5 (FM)
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630 11:30 A.M. M TW TF
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Second Close postage paid in La Mirada, Calif. Printed in U.S.A. by Church Press, Glendale, Calif. Address: Biola Broadcaster, 13800 Biola Ave., La Mirada, California 90638.
KTEL Yakima
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9:30 A.M. M TW T F Continued on P a g e 35
The first reason for this is that we might provide for our offspring. This includes provisions in the a r e a s which are physical, mental, moral, esthetical and spiritual. Paul writes to his son in the faith, Timothy, “And one who does not provide for his own, especially for his own house hold, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” This pro vision is for the physical body, the proper kind of food, health, and medi cine when needed. The little child cannot climb out of its crib or play room and go to a doctor when there is a need, or when some immuniza tion should be given. I was visiting in a certain home when a little boy came up to me and said, “Mr. Smith, I want to show you my pictures.” He got out a box in which he had more than a hun dred snapshots which he had taken with an expensive camera his father and mother had gotten for him. Frankly, it would have taken a Ph.D. to operate the thing. Do you know, not a single one of those pictures was in focus. When he had gone out to play, I said to his mother, “Have you had little Jimmy’s eyes exam ined ? From the looks of his pictures, it may be he has seriously impaired vision.” She was quite sure it was merely a case of his not knowing how to use the camera. She agreed, however, to take him to the doctor. His eyes were examined and he was fitted with glasses. Some weeks later when I was in that same home, the mother filled up with emotion and tears came in her eyes. She said, “Do you know what my little lad said to me after he got his glasses? ‘Mommy, for the first time, I can see the tops of the trees!’ ” Whereas he had been doing 3
C hapter O ne I t WAS A number of years ago that I was asked to address a Mother’s Club on the aspect of child life. I started by saying, “I happen to be a father. My first child is six weeks old. I am sure that I’m acquainted with all the problems and have all the answers.” (They chuckled, as did I.) Since that time I have become, with my dear wife’s help, a father of five children. Some of them have already established their own homes. In the intervening years I have coun selled with young men and women in colleges and universities about marital and family relations. There is no institution in all the world as significant as the family. This is the basic unit and final bul wark of our society. “If you will give us godly Christian homes,” said one of our presidents a few years ago, “most of our real problems will take care of themselves.” He was right! Human beings, u n lik e animals, take many years to mature. The government says a young man is not old enough to vote until he is 21 years of age. The reason for the dif ference is that animals are directed by instincts. Whether it be a Balti more Oriole, building the same kind of a nest which it has built through the years, or the elaborate diving bell of a water spider, the Almighty Crea tor directs each one in the instincts of its own development. Human beings are not the same. We concern ourselves with mental, moral and spiritual values. A young man cannot be taught to be honest by instinct. In the providence of God there are long years necessary for the proper development of character. This is why God gave you children. The responsibility is up to you!
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poorly in school, he later went to a university and took top honors in his particular field of study. We are entirely responsible for our children’s physical well-being. How many mothers know the distinc tions between a carbohydrate, a vita min and a protein? I wonder if they really know what a good balanced diet is. Are you providing all that is necessary for the proper develop ment of your offspring? The Psalm ist writes of the Lord, “Thou hast set the solitary in families.” How grateful we should be for our chil dren. Only the Lord can guide us as fathers and mothers with discern ment. Will you seek His help in com munion with Him and through the power and inspiration of His Word? C hapter T wo One of the primary reasons why God has given children parents is so that we might discipline them in love. A child cannot provide for it self. There are long years before he becomes mature enough to use proper discernment. Science reveals today that many of the actions of the pregnant mother affect the embryo carried in her womb during the gestation period from conception to birth. How grate ful we should be that our Saviour has so structured the body to protect the baby from much of the harmful action of the mother. As an example, the food intake of the mother may have a great and even a harmful effect upon the child. Scientists at the University of Michigan have reported that a moth er, carrying a child at certain times in her life, may affect it even by tak ing aspirin. This was reported in a medical journal just this last year. Last fall, a baby bom to a 27-year- old Yukon mother, an alcoholic, weighed 4 pounds and 15 ounces at birth. Its breath was alcoholic. This little child, for 24 hours, was jerky and jumpy. To quote the Canadian 4
Medical Association Journal, it had delirium tremens symptoms. The American Medical Association wrote of a similar experience in New Jersey. Doctors were surprised that a certain new-born i n f a n t went through all the symptoms of narcotic addiction: withdrawal, convulsions and the like. Checking out the moth er, they found her to be a confirmed addict. For three or four days, that child continued all of the symptoms. It has been shown by statistics that twice as many babies are bom mentally defective in the spring af ter a hot summer. Why is this ? Dur ing the hot summer, not infrequent ly, mothers who are carrying a child when the cerebral cortex is being formed, instead of eating proteins and the proper building blocks, have nourished themselves on iced teas and soda water. These are delectable but do not provide material to build up the brain. There is a great deal of data avail able concerning four areas or factors affecting the unborn baby in various stages of development. One of these is social disease, such as syphilis. Venereal disease affects the forma tion of the life cell. Another problem is white lead. This substance, found in many paints, can be most injurious to an unborn child. The third is ra diation. This is the reason we are concerned about such things as X- rays. The last is alcohol. You will not hear anything of its dangers in ad vertisements. Scientists believe that alcohol can and does definitely affect an offspring. Dr. C. F. Hodge of Clark University in W o rce ste r, Massachusetts carried on an experi ment with psychological and physio logical aspects of liquor. He took four Cocker spaniels that were of the same strain and background. He mated them together and gave them the names of Nick and Topsy. He had a very interesting sense of humor. The other two dogs he called Bum and
Lord placed Him in the home of Mary and Joseph. They must have been wonderful people. Mary, it says in the Scriptures, was full of grace. Joseph, His foster father, must have been a man of great maturity. It was our Heavenly Father’s pleasure to give to the Lord Jesus, as an infant, a human father and mother to care and provide for Him. In addition to providing proper food and health for our children, parents must provide a proper home. It certainly does not need to be a palatial mansion, but rather a hum ble abode where the Lord Jesus Christ has the pre-eminence. Do you fathers have a little bench at which your boy can play? Does he use a hammer or a chisel or some other tool? Oh, you say, “He’ll dull the chisel.” Yes, that is exactly what he will do. But it is far better to have a dull chisel and a sharp boy! Some times we do not understand this. I knew of a teacher in Minneapolis who told of one of her experiences. Little Teddy came to school on one particular day and declared to his teacher, “You know what happened last night? I went to my first Cub Scout meeting. I went to the door of Jimmy’s house and his mother opened the door. She told me, ‘Who are you ? Did you come to the Cub meeting?’ I said, ‘I sure did!’ Then she smiled and said, ‘Little Teddy, you just come right on in.’ ” He told his teach er about that three times that same day. You see, his own home was a place where his mother didn’t want him around. She was afraid he might disturb things and make them a lit tle disorderly. I ask you, “What is a home for, anyway?” I know a very fine Christian young man who has some very deep-seated problems in his inner soul. Although his pattern of life is circumspect, there are some scars on his psycho logical being. The background of his home was very fine, with godly par ents. They, however, did not under- 5
Tipsy. He tested the dogs as to the affect of alcohol upon their offspring. Nick and Topsy had no alcohol with their meals while Bum and Tipsy did. Checking the litters, the two which had no alcohol had 45 pups born to their union. Only 4 died and 90.2% were normal. Bum and Tipsy, on the other hand, only had 23 pups bom to their union. Nineteen of them died. It was Dr. B. G. Fritz, a research scholar in Europe, who wrote a book in 1939 which was entitled, “Alcohol, Another Germ Poison.” He declared, in reporting on 491 cases in investi gations of alcohol, that there is in jury done to the offspring as a re sult of the consumption of alcohol. Knowing these things, and being guided by them, is one of the values of a real Christian life. When we follow our Saviour, and the Lord Jesus Christ becomes the Guide and Teacher of our lives, then He gives us a discernment as to moral values and character. When we place our lives and our children in His care, when we pray for our children while the mother is yet carrying it, in those early years the Lord will give His discernment and grace. He wants to help us to live a consistent, righteous Christian life. We need to pray that the Lord will help us to be wise and under standing so that we may protect our little ones from all the evils around us, as well as from the evils of our own intentions, ignorance or lack of discernment. C hapter T hree The New Testament speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ when He was only a little boy by saying, “And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom; and the grace of God was upon him.” Our Saviour was brought into the world by the Heav enly Father to be the incarnate Son of God, to die for our sins, and to rise again for our redemption. The
we may provide the things necessary for our children for good physical bodies to avoid all the habits of evil. May our homes be places where chil dren are loved, wanted, accepted and desired. C hapter F our Literature in the home is one of the most valuable ways of guiding our children into spiritual truth. It is difficult for a young man or for a young woman to keep pure in mind and thought with all kinds of evil literature around. While I was speaking in a certain college, a young man came to me and said, “I’m deeply troubled. I have developed a habit of self-abuse. The reason for it is that one day I went into my father’s room. He didn’t know that his dresser was unlocked. I knew I shouldn’t, but I began snooping about. Here I found some of his lewd pictures and magazines. I began to read them and my mind was filled with all kinds of lust. I’ve never been able to get over this terrible self-abuse. How do I master it?” We talked of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, about cleanliness of thought, and about controlling the mind through the power of the Holy Spirit. The cleansing power of our Lord Jesus Christ can cover every sin, but the scars of the tragedy still remain. We ought to avoid bringing into our homes anything which would cause our children to have tempta tions in any manner. How many times do you find any thing that deals with the kingdom of God in the magazines and books found in the average home? How many X’eligious periodicals do you take? Is there something that a young person can pick up to feed his soul? As parents we are also respon sible for the control of these things which affect, mold and even militate against the development of the child. What about the television? Do you just let it go on and on day after
stand him. The home was a show place. The children had to play in the cellar or basement or go directly to their rooms. Woe betide them if they sat down in any other part of the house! There were covers over the furniture; cellophane still covered the lamps. Then, once every two weeks, the mother unveiled them for a tea party so certain friends could come in and say, “My, what a won derful home you have; how beauti ful, how clean it is!” This was all at the expense of her children. One of them grew up to totally repudiate the Gospel. He said, “If this is the way one is supposed to live, I don’t want to have anything more to do with the church.” The other boy used to come to me with some of his deep loneli ness. He felt a sense of rejection. Problems were created for the lives involved. Does our home belong to the chil dren? What about play facilities? Is there the proper amount of space for it? A few years ago in the Saturday Evening Post there was a very strik ing picture. The first segment showed the father sitting in his chair read ing, looking down at his son. The boy had some m ilk cartons and blocks. He was chugging away play ing train. The next picture showed the father greatly distressed. He wanted his boy to have an expensive electric train. He immediately went down to the store and picked out the best he could find. The third cartoon showed the father down on the floor playing with his little boy and the elaborate new train. The fourth pic ture was exactly the same as the first except that the electric train was in the corner with no fascination for the boy. He was engrossed in pushing the milk cartons and blocks once again. Children don’t need ex pensive toys, but they do not some thing. They need us! May our prayer be that God will guide us, giving discernment so that 6
of every human heart is love. If the child is loved and accepted, not re jected, regardless of whatever fail ures may come, he will generally be well adjusted. If the child is not ac cepted into the household, if it doesn’t have sense of belonging, he will be warped as long as he lives. In the counselling ministry, we find that many of the lonely hearts coming to us are a result of a lack of early love. A woman in her thir ties came to me and out of the hunger of her soul, she said, “You know, it’s very difficult to believe that God loves me. My father and mother never did.” How can we show our children the love of God if we don’t reveal a true love for them individ ually? That is why love and disci pline go together. Your child needs a sense of belonging, a sense of real love, a sense of being accepted for its own sake. At the same time, because it is a little child, born into the world with a self-centered will, it needs disci pline and correction. This is how a child begins to grow and develop when the two are in proper perspec tive. Tell your child you love him. We should be interested in what the child is interested in. We ought to provide an atmosphere of love in which the child can live. Our discipline must be consistent. The child should be taught that whining gets it noth ing. He will need to learn that all authority comes from the Lord. Dis cipline needs to come within the quiet pattern of that which is mature, not from a fussing nature. Let us thank the Lord for the guid ance His Holy Spirit gives in this area of life. May we willingly ac cept the discipline of our own lives so that we may be better examples for our youth.
day ? There was a study made in one of our children’s homes in an eastern city of the effect ocean pictures had on the sleep habits of a child. They were not now concerned about the quality of the picture but about the excitement that resulted. The group which had seen these pictures dur ing the day slept much more fitfully. What one sees can easily affect his nervous life. There is even a need to provide for the esthetic development of the child. What kind of music do we have in the home? If all your youth hears is the rock ’n roll beat, he will grow up to be eccentric on that point. Do we have any of the great chorales of the church? What about some sym phonies by Beethoven, or the Bach preludes and Chopin etudes? If you want your child to appreciate the great musical heritage of our world, you must accept the responsibility and make a provision for it. The child cannot provide for itself. It does not know what a balanced diet is. I know a dear mother who hap pens to be the wife of a college staff man. Her children all had very diffi cult times. They looked weak and were troubled with various kinds of problems. We found out that this woman was giving them some form of dried meat for economy every day. This wasn’t enough. Today we have a vast choice of foods and vita mins. As a father or mother, we must fully provide for our children. The Scripture says that if we do not, we have actually denied the faith and are worse than an unbeliever. The Lord gave your child to you that you might provide for it all that is necessary for maturity. If that young man or young woman is to live for Jesus Christ and take his or her place in society you must make ample provision for them. One of our prime responsibilities is to render loving discipline (notice what kind!). The one great desire
If you make Sunday your strong day, the rest of your days will not be weak days. 7
W HEN YOU THINK of the future, does your mind major on the hardships and vicissitudes of old age? For the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ, there are some wonderful things in store. Sometime ago, when I was a stu dent in a university, I had an inter esting discussion with my psychology professor. He said to me, “You know, I am certain that such and such is going to happen, just as sure as death and taxes.” I replied, “Well, Dr. Rogers, it is true, one may be sure cf taxes, but frankly, I’m not quite so sure of death.” He was rather star tled as .1 continued, “I expect to pay taxes, but I don’t expect to die.” Now he was sure I had “slipped a cog.” “Are you crazy?” Smiling I went on, “You know, those of us who are born- again Christians have a wonderful hope in our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. We know for a certainty that He is going to return. If it is during my lifetime then this body will never experience the ministry of an under taker’s art.” This further startled him. I proceeded to take my Bible out of my briefcase and to show him some of the passages of Scripture which hs.“' to do with this blessed hope. Perhaps a brief study of them would be a help to you, too. Paul writes, “For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, and with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the a ir ; and so shall we ever be with the Lord” (I Thess. 4:16, 17). This is the description of our Lord’s return and the effect it will have upon you 8
and me. The Lord will return with a shout descending from heaven and with the voice of the archangel, the trump of God shall sound, and the dead in Christ shall rise first. That means those of our loved ones who have loved the Lord and who have experienced what the world calls death. Actually, the believer never really experiences death, spiritual death, for to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. If you are a saved individual you will never be at your own funeral; you will be in the presence of the Lord. Those who are alive will be caught up in their physical bodies with those who have died and whose souls will be reunited with their re deemed bodies as together we meet the Lord in the clouds. The reference to clouds here is not a weather report indicating th a t Christ can only return when there are clouds in the sky. But it speaks of clouds of the redeemed who are translated to glory. There will be no “freeway” problems on the road to heaven that glorious day. The reason is that we will all be going in one direction: up. We will all be going at the same speed and our governor will be the Lord Jesus Christ. Ever since the fall of Adam man has been living in a world of death. To the mind of the unbeliever a natural question should fo llow , “What will happen to me if He should come?” The answer can be settled in your own heart as you rest your whole soul upon Christ. His promise is “Verily, verily I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlast ing life, and shall not come into con demnation (judgment); but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24).
of fear. In the midst of individual as well as national restlessness, we can enjoy a perfect calm. How wonder fully this verse illustrates the keep ing power of our God. Day after day He is concerned with our care. This is what Paul meant when, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, he declared to the Philippian church, “Being confident of this very thing (hope), that he which hath begun a good work of Jesus Christ” (Phil. 1:6). God saved us not to abandon us. He has assured us that He will keep and preserve us until the glorious day of redemption. Peter carries this same message to the hearts of believers as he de clares, “Blessed be the God and Fa ther of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively (liv ing) hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. To an inheritance incorruptible, and unde filed, and that fadeth not away, re served in heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be re vealed in the last time” (I Peter 1 :3- 5). No wonder our injunction is to “look for the Son of God from heav en and to wait for him.” This is not a doctrine over which we argue but it is an experience which we antici pate. The Greek word for “wait” is very interesting. I t means to be on the alert; to be expectant; to watch out for. Let me use this illustration. Suppose that World War II is just over. You haven’t seen your boy for three or four years. Suddenly he calls you on the phone and says, “Mother and Dad, I have just arrived back in the States. I’m here at the New York airport and will catch the next plane home.” Let’s further assume that it’s 9
H ave you ever , in the quietness of your own heart, asked your self, “What is my future?” Many people today have no future. No wonder so many are despondent and discouraged. At its face value, a con sideration of the future may bring to some minds only that which is temporal. How few really stop to con sider eternity. They do not know God except as someone whose name can be used in profanity. Those of us who are bom again, who know the Lord Jesus Christ as our own personal Saviour, realize that we do have a blessed future. All those who have never come to this place must meet the Lord not as their Saviour, but as their Judge. Man, in that, or in any hour, cannot blame God. For it is not His divine will that any should lost and be eternally separated from Him. In this day of grace He is dem onstrating His matchless love, grace, and patience. Yet men continue to go about, totally ignoring Him. This condition will not always prevail. We believe that events are shaping up which indicate that the day of grace is rapidly coming to a close. In the light of those things, it is wonderful to contemplate the believer’s future. “And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Thess. 5:23). It is important to notice the key word “keep” found in this text. In the midst cf restlessness, distress, hopelessness and trouble there is a keeping power for the Christian. In our last messages we pointed out how God shall catch us away before that hour of judgment. To be sure, we are in a world of turmoil and trou ble. Men’s hearts fail them because
about 7 o’clock in the evening. Your boy figures that he’ll be able to make it about midnight. Do you think you might say something like this to him, “Well son, it’s so wonderful to hear your voice. We are glad you arrived back in the country. Now, you know mother and I have been working hard today; we’re awfully tired. Even though we haven’t seen you for three or four years, I’m sure you will un derstand. We will put the key under the mat by the front door. Let your self in as quietly as possible and we’ll see you in the morning.” How many mothers and fathers would say, “That’s not what I’d do at all. You must be crazy!” And you would be right. Any mother or father who hasn't seen a son for three or four years is not only going to stay up late but also is going to let the whole neighborhood know of the good news. His arrival is a time of welcome and rejoicing. This is the way it should be with us as we contemplate the re turn of our Saviour, God’s only be gotten Son who fought the battle of the cross for us. We ought to wait patiently for Him because the text says He will deliver us. The Author ized Version has it in the past tense, however, the Greek is in the present. It is a moment by moment deliver ance. But, from what are we kept? The Bible tells us it is from the wrath to come. Yes, the Lord Him self is drawing us away from the wrath to Himself. This is the picture of a child running in front of a speeding car. Someone sees the child, dashes out after him, snatches him from the pathway of the oncoming automobile and saves his life. This is what the Lord Jesus is doing for you and for me. Back in 1949, while traveling to the midwest by plane, a very sober ing experience took place. When we left Philadelphia, the sky was blue and the sun was shining. When we came to Chicago there was nothing to be seen but clouds. It was just 10
about impossible to see the wing tips of our airplane. The stewardess announced that there was trouble be low and. that we would not be able to land. No one liked the ominous sound of this. Around and around we circled for more than an hour. Peo ple were getting edgy and jumpy. One man asked me what I did. I told him I was a preacher and the people around us immediately took on a very holy appearance. Another man said, “Well, you know we may not go to church very often, but I guess we’re all headed in the same direction.” I said, “Yes, you could be right.” There was a lawyer on board and he said, “What do you mean, ‘We could be right?’ Aren’t you going to give an argument?” I replied, “No, but if you are interested there are three places we could be in the next few moments. We can either be in heav en, in hell or in Chicago.” Now when one is stranded in a plane which is in difficulty, this is not merely a joke, it is a rather serious note. One of the men had sufficient interest to ask, “Well, Mr. Keiper, what makes the difference?” I quickly responded, “Knowing the Lord Jesus as per sonal Saviour.” What a wonderfully ripe time for a message on eternity. Everyone of us is going to take a last flight. Life may seem like we are blindly trying to find security. For the believer, we have a Man in the tower (the Lord Jesus Christ) who is going to save us from the crash to come. Do you know the Lord Jesus today? When you take that last flight called death will you be flying blind ly to eternal death ? When Christ wants to be your Pilot, your Saviour, why not accept Him now and settle your soul’s eternal destiny?
■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ■ I The Lord may calm your storm, but then again He may allow the storm to rage while He calms you.
by J. Richard Chase
PRINCE OF PEACE
doms we enjoy today. Some were, in fact, disappointed when Christ did not overthrow the existing political forces. Yet Christ Himself is pres ent as the One who alone can bring peace. Consider the Apostle Paul who faced more than the average share of problems. What a confidence he had in the Lord Jesus Christ! Notice what he says in II Corinthians 4:8 and 9, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are per plexed, but not in despair; perse cuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” We can identify in our own way with these hardships. Still, we can rejoice in the provision our Saviour has made for inward peace. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, put it well, “We are troubled on every side.” He meant, as the original Greek suggests, we’re cramped or hemmed in. Have you ever been trapped on a busy free way, late for an appointment? The road was so jammed there was no way out. This is what he’s talking about. Many of our faithful Biola friends have been bed-ridden for days, months and even years. Physi cally there is little that you can do because of illness. You fit Paul’s de scription. Paul testified that he was hemmed in and yet not totally im mobilized. Several years ago I called on an individual who had appeared pre viously to be in good health. Then there was an exploratory operation and terminal cancer was discovered. In six weeks his physical life was gone. Being a Christian, he went to be with the Lord. He was trou bled, hemmed in, which was not ac cording to his experience or liking. But despite this, he wasn’t immo- 11
H ave you ever received a gift so unusual that at first you didn’t even know what it was? We’re grate ful for the thoughtfulness of friends and yet some things we have diffi culty using. How tragic that at this tremendous time of year, marking the coming to this world by our Lord Jesus Christ, many people have diffi culty in knowing what the Saviour can really mean to them. One of the beautiful descriptions of our Lord, found in Isaiah 9:6, is “The Prince of Peace.” That was a strange name for people in Old Tes tament days. They weren’t accus tomed to thinking of their leaders in terms of peace but as mighty men of valor. Moses literally wrenched the children of Israel out of the hands of Pharaoh. During the sub sequent course of their wanderings they experienced many difficult bat tles. What tremendous conflicts they had because of sin and unbelief! We know little of such unbelievable hard ships. Joshua doesn’t fit the picture of be ing a prince of peace. He was a pow erful leader moving ahead until the p r o m i s e d land was possessed. Thoughout the Old Testament, men are lauded for being strong. Yet, here was promised, 750 years before His coming, the Prince of Peace. Such an expression could not be a description of David of whom the women sang, “Saul hath slain his thousands but David his ten thou sands” (I Sam. 18:7). Even when we turn to the New Testament, it’s apparent that individ uals living then might look upon the phrase “Prince of Peace” as being a bit unusual. They were living un der the cruel and relentless thumb of Rome. They had none of the free
shoulder ready to overtake and de stroy him at any time. Yet he never felt forsaken. Listen to his testimony in Romans 8:38, 39, “For I am per suaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Finally, while he was cast down, he was not in despair. The idea here is of something which is of no use and can merely be cast aside. Many times people turned their backs on Paul. They were rude and arrogant. In writing to Timothy, he explained, “All they which are in Asia are turned away from me” (II Tim. 1: 15). What would the descriptive title “Prince of Peace” mean in such cir cumstances? The word peace in the Greek has the idea of completion as well as maturity. Many times in life there are a number of loose ends; we’re not quite sure how things fit together. Life is never more than a bunch of frazzled ends until one finds the Lord Jesus as Saviour, Lord and Master. It’s not unusual to hear a testimony wherein the person says that when he found Christ “it all made sense.” That’s why we’re told, “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit.” Christ is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and Omega, and life takes on real mean ing. The Gospel is peace because it’s through the Saviour that we are finally reunited with our Maker and Creator. There are all kinds of frus trations when tasks are incomplete. Vital answers make life difficult at best. Only one’s knowledge by faith in Christ, can bring life to maturity, or bring real peace. You’ll have prob lems in life, make no mistake, but if you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, life fits to gether and you will know Him as “the Prince of Peace.”
bilized. Everyone who came in con tact with him recognized that here was a vibrant life for Christ, an individual with a clear-cut testimony. Could this be true of us? At one time Paul and Silas were in jail together at Philippi. They were bruised and beaten. Yet Acts 16:25 tells us that they “prayed, and sang praises unto God.” Although hemmed in on every side, they weren’t immobilized. They still used their lips to praise God! Not only did the other prisoners hear them, but also the jailor and his family were converted. In fact, the church at Philippi was established as a re sult. Yes, the Lord Jesus Christ is indeed our “Prince of Peace.” Paul further explains, “We are perplexed, but not in despair.” What an interesting play on words! While there seems to be no way to go, all the doors are closed, yet it is not an absolute situation. Humanly speak ing, it may be impossible, but there is always God’s way. Paul wanted to witness to the people at Rome. The Lord had promised him that he would go, but when he did, it would be at Rome’s expense as a prisoner. We could hardly blame this saint if he had argued, “That’s no way to go: to be thrown into a dungeon!” Many times there are perplexities, yet the way, on God’s timetable, is never closed. While in prison, the Apostle penned that tremendous epistle to the Church at Philippi, in which he wrote, “I have learned in whatso ever state I am, therewith to be content” (Phil. 4:11). Perhaps you have felt there was no way for you to go on. Yet, never forget that God always has a way. This is why Christ is “Prince of Peace.” Paul said that he was persecuted which gives the picture of people af ter him at all times. What an exam ple for us, as so often we may feel that we’re the one who may have problems. Yet, here was one who lived with people looking over his 12
sense whatsoever. There’s a great gulf between Christ’s entrance into the world and that which we have experienced personally. You and I were born in sin, shapen in iniquity. We came into the world by natural generation. If our Redeemer were not miraculously conceived, then His value would be minimized absolute ly. If His birth was not virgin, He was only worth one of us, and not ten thousand. Not only was Christ holier in His birth but also was purer in His life than any other man. Listen to the Saviour’s own claim, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” Jesus Christ had a dual nature, combining only one holy nature. In this He was un like you and me. If you think of the saintliest man or woman you’ve ever met or heard about, and compare such an individual with the unsullied life of the Son of God, it would be like holding a candle to the light of the sun. Everything pales before Him. The Lord of glory was also firmer than man in His friendships. King David was willing to suffer with his people but, responding to their con siderate words, he remained behind in a safe place. Christ said, “I will surely go forth with you myself al so.” He went, suffering Himself to be tested in all points like as we are. He shares all of our experiences apart from sin. While the best friends of life can fail, Christ s friendship is constant and continu ing. What does the world know of this ? Are we giving the Saviour all the love, devotion and adoration which is rightfully His as we look into the Word of God? His grace is more far- reaching than that of any member 13
P art I O ne OF the most important as- spects of the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ is His virgin birth. Actually, th is supernatural miracle is not so much that Mary gave birth to a child, but that she was overshadowed by the Holy Spir it. The world may not value the Sav iour any more than what Judas got in his betrayal of Jesus for thirty pieces of silver, the market price for a common slave. Christ’s price is far above rubies. In II Samuel 18:3 we find the words concerning David, “Thou art worth ten thousand of us.” The Israelites were trying to persuade him not to go to battle. Again in Song of Solo mon 5:10 we read, “My beloved . . . the chiefest among ten thousand.” This was the testimony of the bride concerning her lover. David was not without his faults. The Bible cer tainly doesn’t try to gloss over them in any sense. Yet he was a great leader, held in high esteem by his people. David had been divinely anointed as Israel’s sovereign. To the Israelites he was a mighty vic tor; to the Philistines a source of constant terror. David carried out no revenge against his rebellious son Absalom. “Would God I had died for thee!” was his heart’s cry. Israel’s illustrious King David is an out standing symbol and type of Jesus Christ, the eternal King. Put those two statements of Scripture together, “Thou art worth ten thousand of us” and “My beloved . . > is the chiefest among ten thousand.” We need to remember that David is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. Although the Saviour condescended to become a Man, the Son of God was, unlike us, without sin in any
of the human race. David’s concern for Absalom gives us a foreview of our Redeemer’s mercy concerning the rebellious human race. David is simp ly a faint type of the loving-kindness each of us can experience through God’s Son. Christ exceeds and ex cels them all. Sinners can do nothing but make wounds which Christ will heal. They can only make debts which He pays baok. They continually fall that He may raise them to life eter nal. This is the ministry of Jesus Christ in His marvelous grace. P art II O ne op the most impressive pas sages of Scripture is the impor tant account of the nativity given to us in Matthew 1:18-25. This under scores the importance of the virgin birth. Matthew’s account sets Joseph in the foreground. We see his inner struggle and concern. Embarrassing as his position may have been, he takes God’s leading to be the path to follow. Matthew speaks as he would talk from Joseph’s point of view. Luke, on the other hand, takes the view from Mary’s maidenly wonder. We see her meek submission. These two important accounts beautifully sup plement one another. They give us two sharp and vivid pictures of these two devout souls. Think of the shock to Joseph with such a sudden discovery crashing in upon him! He was bound by engage ment to Mary. The situation is brought out most delicately. As a just man, Joseph would not ignore his loved one’s condition. He could not bring her to public shame, as had been the custom among the Jews. The divine guidance, which is ever given to waiting minds, was bestowed freely upon Joseph by way of a dream. This was one of the Old Tes tament’s means of divine communi cation. The most stupendous fact in his tory is announced by the angel to 14
Joseph, which is the main reason for his going on with the marriage. Joseph, tortured with doubts about Mary and hesitations as to his own duty, moves in the realm of the Spir it’s leading. Because children are partakers of flesh and blood, Christ must also take part of the same. No less a requisite is that He must be free from the taint in nature which passes down to all born of the will of the flesh. Both necessities were met in His supernatural birth of the virgin Mary. How does Christ come to be free of flaws of which even the smallest spoil the noblest of characters in the human race? Suppose there were mil lions of chain links all of which have been forged of mingled metal. Then there comes One of pure gold. How can it have the same origin as the others? Scripture says, “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” You see, it was cast and molded in another forge. That which was con ceived in Mary was of the Holy Ghost. Joseph was to assume the position of father, even though he had abso lutely nothing to do with the con ception. The name Jesus or Joshua was given to many in those days. Parents, in the hope that Israel might some day be freed, bestowed this name on their offspring. Yet this wasn’t the only reason Joseph gave Christ this title. Salvation from God was to be of another kind than that human deliverance which Joshua had brought. Here was eternal life, the forgiveness of sin as promised in Genesis 3:15. This deliverance would not be political, wrested from Rome by a sword. It was something which changed the life from within. It could be effected only by moral and spiritual weapons. We find in Isaiah’s prophecy a wonderful description of Christ, giv en more than 750 years before His birth, in the name which was to be bestowed upon Him (Isa. 9:6). Ever
py our thoughts throughout the year, not just at the holiday season. To believe in the Virgin birth of Jesus Christ, and to be born-again through faith in Him, is a marvelous experi ence such ' as the world has never known. As we consider Jesus Christ as the Infant King, it’s highly appropriate that the Gospel of Matthew should be the first book of the New Testa ment. The genealogy with which it opens links it to Old Testament his tory. Nearly 100 Old Testament quo tations are to be found in its 28 chapters. Matthew wrote from the Jewish point of view, as the Holy Spirit moved him. What a natural bridge between the old and the New Testament this book became! This wonderful book is divided by the five major discourses of Christ. In between, the events of Jesus’ life are gathered together in chronologi cal sequence. Notice the very beginning where we read, “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” He is carefully described as Abraham’s son. God had promised David that his kingdom would be established forever (II Sam. 7:12-16). Abraham, too, was given word that through his seed all of the promises of God were to be fulfilled (Gen. 12:3). As the son of David, Christ is the Messiah; as the son of Abraham, He is the Sav iour of all who believe. Matthew, who is concerned with Jesus primarily as the Messiah, traces His descent to His royal ancestors. Luke, on the other hand, presents Him as the Son of Man and emphasizes His ideal humanity, tracing His ancestry back to Adam, the father of the human race. Four women are named in Jesus’ genealogy, although the Jews didn’t ordinarily include women in their an cestral tables. Interestingly enough, not one of them was a Jewess in good standing: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth 15
since the day of its utterance, the people of Israel looked forward with anxious, longing hearts to the Re deemer’s coming. Matthew, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, be lieved that all the prophecies of the Old Testament were completely ful filled in Jesus Christ. How right he was! The name .Emmanuel to be given to the prophetic child breathed a certainty that God was assuredly with Israel. For only by a Man who was one of us, and in whom God is with us, could we ever be saved from our sins. Christ is Jesus, because He is Emmanuel. How different the world looked to Joseph when he was awakened from that dream! Hesitations and agoniz ing doubts now had vanished. In stead of the dread that her child would be the offspring of shame, there was a divinely-given certainty that that Baby would be the Saviour, the Messiah of Israel. Joseph’s obedi ence now was as swift as it was glad. He believed, and his faith lift ed the burden. The birth itself re corded in Matthew 1 :25 has its bear ing on Joseph’s marital relationship. Could such a perspective in the story be conceived from any other point of view than Joseph’s in the Gospel of Matthew? It doesn’t preclude the fact that after the birth of our Lord, Joseph and Mary were united as husband and wife and had other chil dren (Matt. 13:55). But Jesus was bom alone of God and of His mother. Joseph was really not His father or His human parent. How wonderful to recognize this truth as a corner stone of our faith! For without the Saviour’s virgin birth, and His con ception by the Holy Spirit, you and I would not have a Saviour to whom we could look for eternal life. How thankful we should be for these blessed truths! P art III T he study of the coming to this earth by our Saviour should occu
and Bethsheba. There were question marks about all of them. In this way our Lord identified Himself in a real way with humanity. Matthew is very careful never to call Joseph the father of Jesus. He only recognizes him as Jesus’ legal father because he was Mary’s legal husband. JeSus’ right to rule was based upon Joseph’s genealogy. This is why David is here established in the line of descendants. One interesting point is that if Joseph had been Jesus’ father in the flesh, Christ would have been dis qualified to be king because of one Jechonias given in the lineage. We see in Jeremiah 22:80 that a curse had been placed on this individual by God and he was disqualified, as well as his descendants, from sitting upon the throne of Israel. Here we can see the unfolding of the miracle of the virgin birth. Luke traces the background of Mary. Notice that Joseph’s father is listed as both Jacob (Matt. 1:16) and as Heli (Luke 3:23). This ap parent contradiction is resolved when we realize that Luke is using the word son in the sense of being son- in-law. This was a practice not un common among Jewish people. Mary was also a descendant of David and Abraham. In this way Jesus is doub ly qualified genealogically to hold David’s throne. The silence of other New Testa ment writers on the subject of the virgin birth indicates that it was taken for granted in the days of the early church. Joseph had learned about Mary’s condition after his en gagement to her, but before the mar riage took place, according to Mat thew 1:18. The engagement of a Jewish couple was a sacred and bind ing ceremony, although the couple didn’t immediately live together as man and wife. Such an engagement could only be broken by divorce. Any 16
violation of personal purity was also considered to be adultery. Joseph could have made his wife a public example, or he could have defamed her. The latter might result in her being stoned as an adulteress. Because he was a good and just man, he thought of putting her away pri vately. This was until the angel of the Lord revealed God’s blessed truth to him. Joseph learned how God was to work out His redemptive purposes through the Son that would be bom of his wife to be. God works things out with a de liberate purpose of fulfilling the pre dictions of His word. Consider Isaiah 7 :14 concerning the conception of the virgin. The prophet wasn’t talking simply about a young woman. What would be unusual about this? The Hebrew word translated here re quires the use of the word virgin. In the first chapter of Matthew, the Saviour is given three names: first, Jesus, which emphasizes His redemptive work; second, Christ which emphasizes His position and title as Messiah; third, Emmanuel which means “God with us” declar ing His full deity. What was the significance in Mat thew 2:1-12 of the wise men’s visit? Bethlehem was a mere hamlet about six miles south of Jerusalem. It was the birthplace of David, accounting for the fact that Jesus was bom there (Luke 2:3-6). Herod had been on the throne since 4 B.C. He was appointed by the Roman senate. As a very aggressive ruler, he was utter ly unprincipled. He had an insanely jealous disposition. The Jews cordial ly hated him. An old man at the time of Jesus’ birth, he died very soon afterward (Matt. 2:15), These men who came out of the distant East are said to have been kings. One popular conception is that there were three of them, based on the number of gifts given. Some feel
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